Lexical Summary qedem: East, ancient times, antiquity, front, before Original Word: קֶדֶם Strong's Exhaustive Concordance aforetime, ancient time, before, east end, part, side eternal, everlasting, forward, Or qedmah {kayd'-maw}; from qadam; the front, of place (absolutely, the fore part, relatively the East) or time (antiquity); often used adverbially (before, anciently, eastward) -- aforetime, ancient (time), before, east (end, part, side, -ward), eternal, X ever(-lasting), forward, old, past. Compare qidmah. see HEBREW qadam see HEBREW qidmah Brown-Driver-Briggs קֶ֫דֶם noun [masculine] front, east, aforetime; — absolute׳ק Deuteronomy 33:27 +, קֶ֑קֶם Judges 8:10 +; construct קֶדֶם Proverbs 8:22; once plural construct קַדְמֵי Proverbs 8:23; — 1 location a. front, ׳מִקּ Isaiah 9:11 from the front (i.e. East), in front (opposed to מֵאָחוֺר), ׳אָחוֺר וָק Psalm 139:5 behind and before; אֶהֳלֹךְ ׳ק Job 23:8 I go forward (opposed to אָחוֺר) b. East: ׳הַרהַֿקּ Genesis 10:30 (J) mount of the East; ׳בְּנֵיקֿ = dwellers in the east, tribes east or northeast of Canaan Genesis 29:1 (E), Judges 6:3,33; Judges 7:12; Judges 8:10; 1 Kings 5:10; Isaiah 11:14; Jeremiah 49:28; Ezekiel 25:4,10; Job 1:3; ׳הַרְרֵי ק Numbers 23:7, see Di Sachau: Reise (1883), 159 ff.165 ff. Dr in Hast.PETHOS; ׳אֶרֶץ ק Genesis 25:6 (J); מָֽלְאוּ מִקֶּדֶם Isaiah 2:6 they are full from the east (insert probablyקֶסֶם, מִקְסָם, or < קֹסְמִים before ׳מִקּ, compare Lo De Du CheHpt Di-Kit); elsewhere ׳מִקּ =eastward: (I) in the east Genesis 2:8 (2) on the eastern (side) Genesis 12:8 (J) Zechariah 14:4; לְ ׳מִקּ on the east of Genesis 3:24 (J), Genesis 12:8 (J), Numbers 34:(P), Joshua 7:2 (JE), Judges 8:11; Ezekiel 11:23 = Jonah 4:5; -3eastward, with verb of motion Genesis 11:2; Genesis 13:11 (both J). 2 temporal, ancient time, aforetime: a. ׳הַרְרֵי ק Deuteronomy 33:15 ancient mountains, compare ׳אֱלֹהֵי ק Deuteronomy 33:27, ׳מַלְכֵיקֿ Isaiah 19:11, ׳בִּשְׁמֵי שְׁמֵיקֿ Psalm 68:34. b. ׳כִּימֵי ק Psalm 44:2 in ancient days; compare ׳מִימֵי ק from of old Isaiah 23:7; Micah 7:20; Lamentations 1:7; Lamentations 2:17; Isaiah 37:26 = ׳לְמִימֵי ק) 2 Kings 19:25 (see מִן 9b (2)); ׳כִּימֵי ק Isaiah 51:9; Jeremiah 46:26; ׳יַרְחֵי ק Job 29:2 months of old. c. ׳מִקּ from of old Micah 5:1; Isaiah 45:21; Isaiah 46:10; Habakkuk 1:12; Nehemiah 12:46; Psalm 77:12 ׳מִנִּיק 7; Psalm 8:2 springing out of, derived from, ancient times (compare Dr); ׳יָמִים מִקּ Psalm 77:6; Psalm 143:5 days from of old. d. ׳ק alone, as adverb anciently, of old Psalm 74:2; Psalm 119:152; ׳כְּק Jeremiah 30:20; Lamentations 5:21; ׳ישֵׁב ק Psalm 55:20 he that sitteth (enthroned from) of old. e. beginning, מִקַּדְמֵיאָֿ֑רֶץ Proverbs 8:23 from the beginnings of the earth; מִפְעָלָיו ׳ק Proverbs 8:22 the beginning of his works ("" רֵאשִׁית). [קֵ֫דֶם], with ה locative I. קֵ֫דְמָה adverb eastward, to, toward, the east; — Genesis 25:6 (J), Leviticus 1:16; Leviticus 16:14; Numbers 34:3,11,15; Joshua 19:12,13 (all P), 1 Kings 7:39 2Chronicles 4:10; 1 Kings 17:3 = 2 Kings 13:17; Ezekiel 8:16 (twice in verse); + north, south, west, Genesis 13:14; Genesis 28:14 (both J), Numbers 2:3; Numbers 3:28; Numbers 10:5 (north, west, in ᵐ5), Numbers 34:10 (all P); also as noun after מְּאַת = eastern side, Exodus 27:13; Exodus 38:13 (both P), + W Ezekiel 45:7 (strike out Co; read קֶדֶם Berthol Toy Krae), + north, south, west, Numbers 35:5; Joshua 18:20 so ׳גְּבוּל ק Joshua 15:5 (all P). Topical Lexicon Overview קֶדֶם (Qedem) functions in Scripture with a dual nuance: spatially as “east” or “front,” and temporally as “ancient” or “everlasting.” Across roughly eighty-seven Old Testament occurrences, the Spirit employs the term to reveal the ordered cosmos, God’s eternal nature, covenantal continuity, and mission strategy for His people. Semantic Range 1. Physical orientation: the direction of the rising sun, the region that lies before one facing east. Spatial Orientation: Eastward Direction Facing east organized life for patriarchs and pilgrims alike. Eden was planted “in the east” (Genesis 2:8), anchoring humanity’s beginning in Qedem. The tabernacle faced east (Numbers 3:38), directing worship toward the dawn that daily proclaims new mercies. Even judgment scenes retain the axis: when Cain was driven “east of Eden” (Genesis 4:16), the vocabulary underscored exile from God’s presence. Geographical Designations Qedem identifies peoples and territories: These references remind readers that God governs history beyond Israel’s borders, summoning or restraining eastern nations to accomplish His plans (Isaiah 46:11). Temporal Dimension: Antiquity and Eternity Qedem often points to the remote past, yet simultaneously highlights timelessness: The prophets extend the line forward: “His goings forth are from of old, from the days of eternity” (Micah 5:2). Thus Qedem situates Messiah’s origins outside temporal limits while affirming His incarnational entrance in Bethlehem. Character of God: Eternal Majesty By attributing Qedem to the LORD, Scripture proclaims His self-existence. Habakkuk glimpses a theophany: “God comes from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah. His splendor covers the heavens, and the earth is full of His praise” (Habakkuk 3:3). The parallelism links Teman (south) and Qedem (east) to frame creation within His radiant glory. Covenantal and Redemptive Themes God’s ancient promises ground present assurance. Isaiah comforts exiles with the pledge: “I call a bird of prey from the east, a man for My purpose from a far country. Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass” (Isaiah 46:11). Cyrus’s rise from the east manifests the steadfast word given long ago. The same term appears in Psalm 74:12: “Yet God is my King from of old, working salvation on the earth.” Prophetic and Eschatological Usage Ezekiel’s climactic vision shows the glory of the LORD returning “from the east” (Ezekiel 43:2), reversing the earlier departure (Ezekiel 10:19). Zechariah echoes: “I will bring them back... from the east and from the west” (Zechariah 8:7), adumbrating the final ingathering. Revelation picks up the typology: “I saw another angel descending from the rising of the sun” (Revelation 7:2), signaling sealing grace that shields the servants of God. Wisdom Literature Perspective Proverbs esteems the “ancient boundary stone” (Proverbs 22:28), urging fidelity to foundational truth. Job’s companions hail from Qedem (Job 2:11), embodying early Near-Eastern wisdom; yet their limited grasp contrasts with divine counsel “older than the earth” (Job 15:7). True wisdom issues from the Lord of Qedem (Job 12:13). Practical Ministry Implications 1. Worldview: Orient life toward the Lord who stands at the beginning and the end. Key Occurrences for Study Genesis 2:8; Genesis 13:11; Genesis 25:6; Exodus 27:13; Deuteronomy 33:27; Joshua 7:2; Judges 6:3; 1 Chronicles 9:18; Job 1:3; Psalm 74:12; Psalm 78:12; Proverbs 8:22; Isaiah 9:12; Isaiah 41:2; Isaiah 46:11; Jeremiah 2:6; Ezekiel 43:2; Micah 5:2; Zechariah 8:7; Malachi 1:11. Summary Qedem integrates geography with theology, time with eternity, and covenant history with eschatological hope. As believers trace its thread, they are invited to behold the God who, from earliest ages and eastern horizons, orders redemption’s account and calls His people into the unfolding dawn of His everlasting kingdom. Forms and Transliterations הַקֶּֽדֶם׃ הקדם׃ וָקֵ֖דְמָה וָקֵ֥דְמָה וָקֶ֣דֶם וּמִקֶּ֖דֶם ומקדם וקדם וקדמה כְּקֶ֔דֶם כְּקֶֽדֶם׃ כקדם כקדם׃ מִקֶּ֑דֶם מִקֶּ֔דֶם מִקֶּ֖דֶם מִקֶּ֗דֶם מִקֶּ֛דֶם מִקֶּ֜דֶם מִקֶּ֣דֶם מִקֶּ֥דֶם מִקֶּ֨דֶם מִקֶּדֶם֒ מִקַּדְמֵי־ מקדם מקדמי־ קֵ֑דְמָה קֵ֔דְמָה קֵ֖דְמָה קֵ֙דְמָה֙ קֵ֚דְמָה קֵ֣דְמָה קֵ֥דְמָה קֵֽדְמָה׃ קֶ֑דֶם קֶ֔דֶם קֶ֖דֶם קֶ֗דֶם קֶ֙דֶם֙ קֶ֜דֶם קֶ֣דֶם קֶ֤דֶם קֶּ֗דֶם קֶֽדֶם׃ קדם קדם׃ קדמה קדמה׃ hakKedem haq·qe·ḏem haqqeḏem kə·qe·ḏem Kedem Kedemah keKedem kəqeḏem mikkadmei mikKedem miq·qaḏ·mê- miq·qe·ḏem miqqaḏmê- miqqeḏem qê·ḏə·māh qe·ḏem qeḏem qêḏəmāh ū·miq·qe·ḏem umikKedem ūmiqqeḏem vaKedem vaKedemah wā·qê·ḏə·māh wā·qe·ḏem wāqeḏem wāqêḏəmāhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 2:8 HEB: גַּן־ בְעֵ֖דֶן מִקֶּ֑דֶם וַיָּ֣שֶׂם שָׁ֔ם NAS: toward the east, in Eden; KJV: a garden eastward in Eden; INT: A garden Eden the east placed and there Genesis 3:24 Genesis 10:30 Genesis 11:2 Genesis 12:8 Genesis 12:8 Genesis 13:11 Genesis 13:14 Genesis 25:6 Genesis 25:6 Genesis 28:14 Genesis 29:1 Exodus 27:13 Exodus 38:13 Leviticus 1:16 Leviticus 16:14 Numbers 2:3 Numbers 3:38 Numbers 10:5 Numbers 23:7 Numbers 34:3 Numbers 34:10 Numbers 34:11 Numbers 34:11 Numbers 34:15 87 Occurrences |
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